BOXING / IRVINE MARRIOTT : Santa Ana’s Chavez Scores Fourth-Round Knockout

Ernie Chavez, who was knocked out almost before the opening bell stopped ringing the last time he fought, had plenty of time to work this time.

Chavez worked on his jab and uppercut before getting around to knocking out Calvin Meeks in the fourth round to keep his California welterweight title Wednesday in front of 1,181 at the Irvine Marriott.

Chavez, a local favorite from Santa Ana, was in command from the start.

“I could tell once I hit him with the first shot,” Chavez said, “that he wanted nothing to do with me. So I was content to work for a while.”

Chavez (14-1) was unbeaten before he fought Alberto Alcarez on Feb. 28 at the Marriott.

But Alcarez knocked Chavez down in the first 10 seconds and knocked him out 24 seconds into the fight.

Chavez, who had fought Meeks (10-4) about six years ago as an amateur, was weary in the first round Wednesday.

“Of course that’s in the back of your mind,” Chavez said about the fight with Alcarez. “Even if you don’t want to admit it. I wanted to see what he (Meeks) had before I went after him.”

Meeks kept to the ropes and tried to tie up Chavez for much of the bout.

Chavez spent the first two rounds content to work on Meeks’ body. Whenever Chavez got close, Meeks would drop his arms over Chavez’s shoulders and hang on.

Referee Fritz Werner spent much of his time pushing the fighters apart.

Chavez got a left to Meeks’ chin in the first round but time ran out before Chavez could inflict any more damage.

Meeks was more aggressive in the second round as the pair traded punches with no one getting a clear advantage.

Chavez clearly hurt Meeks with a strong right late in the third round that set up the fall in the fourth.

About 30 seconds into the fourth, Chavez landed a powerful left to Meeks’ eye that send him to the ropes, covering up for protection.

About a minute into the round, Chavez landed the second of four straight lefts that would be the end of Meeks.

The final blow was to the face, and Meeks fell away slowly after the punch, turned and dropped face first to the floor.

On the undercard:

Ernie Magdelena of Westminster won a unanimous decision at 176 pounds in the six-round semi-main even.

Martin Garcia of Westminster fought Mamuru Fuyumura of Los Angeles to a four-round draw at 116 pounds.